Apparatus and methods for maximizing utilization of a dynamically varying channel are provided. A transmitter comprising a video source encoder encodes and transmits data over one or more digital data channels. A forward error correction coder is associated with the video source encoder for error correction coding of one or more blocks of the data. The forward error correction coder receives the data from the video source encoder at an encoding data rate. The blocks of error correction coded data are transmitted at a predetermined transmitting rate over the one or more digital data channels to a receiving module. The encoding data rate of the data provided by the video source encoder to the forward error correction coder is modified to fully utilize available channel bandwidth of the one or more digital data channels while maintaining the predetermined transmitting rate of the error correction coded data.